There are two professional football (soccer) clubs in Medellín, Colombia: Independiente Medellín and Atlético Nacional. On a hike a few days before this game, we met our friend Daniel, who was from Medellín, supported Independiente, and invited us to a game with him. Of course we went! They were hosting Patriotas F.C., a team from Tunja, a city in the center of the country.

You can buy tickets at the club's stadium ticket window (boletería), official club store (there is one at the stadium and another downtown), or at another official vendor. The problem with the ticket window at the stadium is that it doesn't open until a few hours before the game and up until that time, a long waiting line forms. We didn't want to wait in the line, not only because it would eat a lot of our precious time, but also because we didn't want tickets to sell out before it was finally our turn at the booth. (Ultimately, I don't think that tickets ever sold out, though.) Also, we didn't want to travel to La Candelaria (the neighborhood of Medellín also known as "downtown") because we were already in Laureles-Estadio, the area where the stadium is located.

We found out that Éxito, a supermarket chain in Medellín, is an official vendor of Independiente Medellín tickets. These supermarkets are all over Medellín. Look at the picture below. And, you can purchase your tickets at any time when the store is open. So, we decided to buy our tickets at the nearest Éxito.

This (above) is the name of the stadium where both Independiente and Atlético Nacional play their home games.

The city of Medellín is divided into 16 comunas, or administrative areas. Comuna 11 is Laureles-Estadio. Laureles is a neighborhood. Estadio, which means "stadium" in Spanish, is the area where the stadium is located. The two areas together make up the comuna. The first picture below shows a map of Medellín's comunas.

We were already staying at a hostal in Laureles, so we walked to the stadium. If you are not within walking distance, you can call an Uber, flag a taxi, or take public transportation, which in Medellín is a system of busses, cable cars, metro trains, and trams (streetcar, or electric bus that runs on streets).

The second picture below is a public transportation map. On the orange line, you can see the stop labeled "Estadio." This stop is right near Estadio Atanasio Girardot. 

It's worth getting to the stadium early so that you can walk around the recreation area that surrounds the stadium. There are courts for soccer, tennis, and basketball, a skate park, exercise parks, live dance and fitness classes, and more. Even if you don't want to participate in an activity, it's cool to be here and experience the atmosphere.

Ultras are the "extreme fans." They are the ones who most passionately and loyally support a football club. They sing, dance, and chant throughout the game. 

Daniel had a group of friends who were ultras, so we got to hang out with them before and during the games. Their energy was amazing. There is no type of fandom like this where I come from in the United States. Check out the videos below to see what I mean.

Once we had encountered the ultras, because they were so much fun, the actual game honestly ended up being an afterthought... Haha... Independiente won 3-0.